Measure of a Man
by SheCameToInfectEveryone
Summary: Steve Rogers has been losing sleep, memories of his past haunting him, but when the newest (And prettiest) S.H.I.E.L.D agent is brought to be introduced to him, he may have just found his way back into the world in the lightening blue eyes of a young woman named Colleen.
1. Chapter 1

Part I

Steve focused on his punching bag as his many flashbacks to before he crashed the plane took over and clouded his mind. As he continued to thrash the bag, it was as if he were thrashing the memories themselves. After just a few moments, he managed to knock the sand filled bag off its chain and sent it hurtling into the opposite wall, bursting the bag in the process and spilling sand all over the gym floor.

"At ease, Rogers," Came Fury's deep voice, "I believe you may have scared the person I brought to meet you."

Steve turned to face him wondering who on earth he would need introducing to. His eyes settled on the lightening eyed brunette lady next to Fury. She looked almost like a child in height standing next to him. Her hair fell in near perfect waves, framing her oval face in a _completely_ perfect way. Her eyes were a light blue that he had never seen before and for a moment he lost himself in them. He shook his head slightly and walked forward, examining her further as he moved towards her. Her lips were a tempting ruby color with a natural pout that nearly begged him to kiss her. Every inch of the woman cried out for petting, stroking, kissing and biting; it was as if God had created her to sexually frustrate every sworn chivalrous gentleman in the world. As he held out his hand to her, she withdrew from him and he saw that he had indeed scared the little angel.

Fury placed his hand on the girl's back with a gentleness that was _very_ uncharacteristic of him. "Rogers, this is our newest and tiniest agent." He said, pulling her forward patiently. "Colleen, I guarantee you that Rogers has no intentions of hurting you. You do not pose a threat to America, do you?"

Colleen giggled, the sound was almost melodic and it made Steve's muscles instantly relax. "I would hope not, even armed I'm more of a danger to myself than I am to America." She said, her voice just as harmonic as her giggle. It was as if it were seeping into his veins like a medicine, dulling the ache in the scars on his heart and in his mind. She took the hand that he only now realized he had been holding out awkwardly this whole time. Her hand was incredibly soft and so small in his own. "My name is Colleen Romanov, Mister Rogers."

He smiled warmly at her. He wondered if there had been something medically done to her to make every word she spoke come out like a song and soothe him into a state of permanent euphoria in her presence. "You can call me Steve, sweetheart." He said after a moment of searching for his voice, it seemed the pretty-eyed vixen had stolen it from him. "Romanov as in Natasha's…"

"Daughter by a very recent adoption," She said as Fury snuck out of the room unnoticed by either of them. "I was homeless up until a few months ago, so I really didn't have a last name for paperwork and likewise, on paper she is my mother. She takes it very seriously though. I even have a curfew."

Steve narrowed his eyes at her. "A curfew? How young are we, Miss Romanov?" He asked, suddenly very, _very_ concerned about what he'd just done to her with his eyes.

She smiled in a slightly knowing way as she released his hand, and his hand felt suddenly very empty and cold without hers to occupy it. "I am twenty two, Steve." She said with a measured patience. "That does not concern Natasha though, I still have to be in my bed by midnight and I'm not allowed to go on more than one day missions without another person with me."

"That's a long leash she has you on there," He said around a nervous laugh. She picked up the concern in his voice easily. "So tell me, if you cannot be considered a threat with a weapon, what exactly is your special talent?"

"I'm twenty two," Colleen said. "I have lived on the streets since I was eight years old up until two months ago when Fury witnessed my talents in action and brought me here. Girls twice my size and age do not last half as long as I did on the streets." She moved towards him a little. "You see, I possess a silver tongue, I've been able to talk my way out of almost every bad hand dealt to me in my lifetime." She moved even closer to him and he found himself measuring the distance between their lips in his head. "I can convince nearly anyone to do nearly anything I need them to do." Her hand came up, fingers gently brushing lightly against his cheek, like a whisper. "There is no shortage of people that S.H.I.E.L.D needs me to convince of things. I also possess amazing soothing abilities because everything about me draws you in, makes you want to spill all your deepest darkest secrets and makes you consider asking me to be held." She dropped her hand from his face and shot him a dazzling smile. "I am good at my job."

"That is absolutely incredible," Steve said, his skin tingling where she had touched him. So it wasn't a medical enhancement, the woman was just very talented at twisting words. He found himself craving her touch, one more brush of her fingertips against his skin. He smiled fondly at her. "You are quite an amazing lady, Colleen."

She backed away from him a little with a sort of shy smile on her face. "You think that now," She said. "Wait until you see me with a gun, you'll change your mind really quick. Fury likes to refer to me as an 'accident waiting for a place to happen'. And speaking of Fury, I believe he is waiting for me."

He didn't want her to leave, not at all. "You mean, you weren't brought here to attempt to get me back into the world?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, I was merely brought here to be introduced to the most estranged member of S.H.I.E.L.D, being that you would most likely not be coming to meet me anytime soon." She said. She brought those dazzling eyes back to his and took his hand again and shook it gently. "It was nice meeting you, Steve."

Steve brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "I believe it was nicer meeting _you_, Colleen." He said and released her hand reluctantly. He watched her walk away and thought to himself that even though she said she had been brought for no other purpose than to be introduced to him, she was indeed getting him back into the world.

For now all he could do was wonder how, when and where he was going to see her next.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve wandered into S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters after a week of dreams involving Colleen's striking blue eyes had plagued his sleep and he simply had to see her again, to get to know her better. He longed to be close to her and he had not longed for any interaction since they had discovered him preserved and still very much alive in the ice and thrust him into a world of technological advances and behaviors that he no longer understood. Now he lost himself in fantasies of his hand in hers once more, dreaming like a schoolgirl and he very much felt like he may go insane if he did not make effort to get next to Colleen.

As he came into the facility, Natasha was stomping out one of the training rooms, slamming the door behind her and taking a deep breath to calm whatever temper was running its course through her. She looked up at him and smiled knowingly. "You are here to see my Colleen aren't you?" She asked.

Steve smiled. "Am I that obvious?" He asked. "She's quite the charmer, I mean only to get to know her better. I'm sure she could use an extra friend."

Natasha shook her head slightly. "That she could," She said. "Especially since I'm fairly certain I just destroyed every feeling she has."

Steve narrowed his eyes in confusion at her. "Why would you do that?" He asked. "She regards you as her mother, I thought, ma'am."

"Has anyone ever thought for a moment that maybe I wasn't _made _for this mothering thing?" She said exasperatedly. "I do not have a soothing bone in my body, Rogers. I do not know what I am doing. I don't know how to teach! She is a hazard to herself, how am I supposed to teach her to defend herself if it only furthers endangers her?"

Steve took Natasha's flailing arms in his hands. "Miss Romanov, it's alright!" He said soothingly. "Perhaps you should go get some fresh air; I will go talk to Colleen."

Natasha nodded and brought her hand up to the bridge of her nose. "Fresh air, yes." She said and detached herself from Steve. "Fresh air, good."

…

Steve walked into the room that Natasha had exited. Colleen sat on the floor, arms against her knees, face buried in her arms. A small assortment of weapons lay on a table near her. The targets bore no holes and there were shells strewn across the floor. Steve shut the door loudly behind him hoping that Colleen might bring that pretty head of hers out of her arms and meet his eyes with those striking baby blues. She did not even stir and Steve was fairly certain he heard quiet sobbing coming from her. He approached her slowly and then slid down to his knees in front of her. He hesitated to touch her, knowing all too well that the woman had been through a lot in her short life time. "Colleen," He said soothingly. "Hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?"

She mumbled something into her knees and adjusted herself, pulling herself into an even tighter hug.

Steve smiled endearingly at her stubbornness. He reached both hands out and placed them on each of her arms and caressed them gently with his fingertips. "Mind repeating that, Colleen?" He asked, a little softer this time.

It seemed to do the trick as she brought her head meekly from her arms, unshed tears in those lightening eyes. She was still a heart breaking beautiful as she sniffled. "I can't do anything right." She whimpered.

"Oh you know that isn't true," He said in a hushed tone, fingers still lightly caressing her skin. "You are still alive, you're a very strong woman. Just because you have learned how to shoot a gun yet doesn't mean you're weak." He took one of her hands in his own and stood. "Come, let me show you how easy it is with the proper teacher."

Colleen glared at him but stood up, not releasing his hand. He gave her hand a small squeeze. He _had_ missed this. Her small hand fit so perfectly in his own as he led her to the table. He picked up one of the small handguns there and let go of her hand reluctantly. She had her eyes trained on the floor. He used his empty hand to slip gentle fingers beneath her chin and coax her into looking at him. "Colleen, in order to show you how to shoot the gun, I will have to touch you a lot, are you okay with that?" He asked gently. "I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

Colleen nodded. "Yes, you can touch me, Mister Rogers." She said around a smile.

He ran gentle fingertips along her cheek, a tiny brush, a millisecond even. "Steve," He corrected. "It's only ever Steve to you, Colleen." He placed one hand gently aside her hips as he led her to where he wanted her to stand. He positioned her in front of the target but a safe enough distance away that they didn't have to worry about getting hit with a recoiling bullet. He placed the gun in her hands. He took a stance behind her, sliding his hands up her arms slowly to raise them to the proper height. She shivered slightly at his touch and he had to bite his lip to prevent a sound of longing from exiting his throat. Did this woman have any idea the effect she had over him with her every move? He placed his finger over hers. He brought his lips close to her ear. "Now all there is to it is taking a deep breath and squeezing at the end of your exhale." He instructed gently. "I'll help you this time." He used the hand not holding her own to brush lightly down her side. "Breathe in." He breathed against her ear, running his fingers back up her side. "Now breathe out…" She did so, letting her breath out slowly. "And pull the trigger," He pressed down on her finger and the bullet fired right through the center of the target.

Colleen leaned back against his chest to look up at him and for a moment all he wanted to do was capture those ruby lips with his own. For a moment he briefly thought about abusing her verbal confirmation that it was alright to touch her. Kissing her could definitely be part of her training; she should know what to do if someone were to press their lips against hers… He shook his head slightly and stepped away from her. "See, easy." He said as he regained the breath she'd stolen from him.

"Yeah, because you helped me," she grumbled stubbornly. "I can't do it on my own."

Steve shook his head at her. "Stop, you have to have more faith in yourself." He scolded. "Do exactly as I showed you. I want you to shoot the target right in the head."

Colleen looked at him as if he'd asked her to move the target with her mind. He walked over to the switch on the wall that brought about a new target as he turned around he saw the woman's eyes traveling back up his body. He smiled slightly to himself. It was nice to know he was not the only one longing for the other in a way two people who had just barely met should. He gestured at the target. "Go on." He urged. "Do as I showed you. Breathe in, out and pull the trigger."

She huffed and turned away from him. Looking at the target, she took a deep breath and Steve admired her every movement, from the fall and rise of her shoulders to the way her hips swung as she adjusted her footing. She let the breath out slowly and pulled the trigger, the bullet _just_ missing the center of the target's face. Colleen dropped her arms exasperatedly. "See, I can't do it!"

He looked at the woman in bewilderment. "Sweetheart, you _just_ missed. That was a killing shot!" He exclaimed around a smile. "It was _nearly_ perfect, Colleen!"

She poked her bottom lip out and it only made him want to kiss her so much more. "_Nearly_ perfect is not perfect!" She grumbled.

"You don't need to be perfect, Colleen, no one is." He said as he walked over to her. "That was a killing shot, that's all that matters, that is what Miss Romanov wants from you. She wants to know that you are able to defend yourself if she should be away from you. As pretty as your words and face are, villains do not care about those things and will not hesitate to begin hurting you before you've gotten the opportunity to turn those baby blues on them." He took her hand in his. "You did just fine, sweetheart."

She smiled mischievously at him and stepped as close as she could get to him without actually physically touching him. "Is there a reward for such things? I think I would be more inclined to learn if there were rewards for such things." She said in what could have only been considered a seductive tone.

She made it so damn hard to be a gentleman. He raised an eyebrow at her. "There could be. What could you want from me?" He asked her.

Colleen opened her mouth to answer him but as she did, the door burst open. "Rogers! What are you doing here?" Fury demanded training a fatherly glare on Colleen who looked down at her feet as if she'd just been told she was grounded.

"I was…" Steve looked at Colleen. "I'd like to take over Colleen's combat training, if that's alright with you. I believe Miss Romanov is too impatient with the girl. She's like a mother taking their teenager out to drive for the first time."

Fury was still glaring death at Colleen, who had a smirk growing on her face beneath the kicked puppy look that she was fronting. Steve wondered what this was all about but then Fury spoke again. "I suppose that would be alright." He all but growled. "I do wish for Colleen to be able to defend herself. There are only so many situations that pretty words can talk themselves out of." He walked over to Colleen. "So that's all that's going on in here, just a defense lesson, correct Agentette Romanov?"

Colleen nodded. "Yes sir, just teaching me how to fire a gun without shooting myself, Director Fury." She said, the smirk that had grown on her face dropping to display a face of nothing but innocence and doe eyes. The girl was good.

Fury nodded. "Rogers, Colleen is your charge now." He looked at Steve. "Know that any misbehavior or anything of the sort will fall on you now."

"I do not believe that Colleen will cause any problems."

Fury cast a sideways glance at Colleen and then brought his eyes back to Steve as if to say 'do not be so sure of that' and then exited the room.

"Now about that reward…" Colleen whispered.

Steve smiled endearingly at her. The woman was incorrigible. Fury had all but broke down the door when he thought they were having a moment before. It was clear Colleen was off limits. Steve did not know why. Perhaps so others were not involved emotionally with someone so accident prone? Fury ought to be encouraging the agents to get close. When in battle the emotional bonds you have with your fellow soldiers is what pulls you through, being able to read the other's mind, to know what they want you to do with a single twitch of the eye. He saw no harm in playing along with Colleen. He saw no harm in getting close to Colleen. Why did Fury wish for him to keep his distance? Nevertheless, Steve took a few steps away from Colleen. "Might I take you out for a coffee? A tea? A quiet little shop where we can talk to one another?" He asked. "Is that an acceptable reward?"

She smiled, and it touched her eyes, brightening them even further. "I believe that sounds like the perfect idea, Mr. Rogers." She said.

Steve took her hand in his once more, her fingers slid between his and it was as if they had been crafted by God himself to fit there perfectly. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a kiss along her knuckles. "Steve," he begged. "Please call me Steve, sweetheart."

**Author's note: **

_**This story will destroy every feel you have. And then build them back up. But in the next few chapters, you will be BROKEN entirely. I thought I should warn you. ;)**_


End file.
